“’Then the word of the LORD came to me. He said, “Can I not do with you, Israel, as this potter does?’ declares the LORD. ‘Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, Israel.’” (Jeremiah 18:5-6)

When we look at a piece of beautiful hand-crafted piece of pottery, we are amazed at the craftsmanship of the potter. From a lump of clay filled with flaws and blemishes, the potter crafts it into the beauty of the finished product. It is with this image God sends Jeremiah to the potter’s house for a message not just for his time but also for us. “’Go down to the potter’s house, and there I will give you my message.’ So I went down to the potter’s house, and I saw him working at the wheel. But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him.” (Jeremiah 18:2-4)

The potter took the clay with its imperfections and worked it into an item of usefulness and beauty. The message given to Jeremiah spoke of God’s work with the people of Israel, “Then the word of the LORD came to me. He said, ‘Can I not do with you, Israel, as this potter does?’ declares the LORD. ‘Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, Israel.’” (Jeremiah 18:5-6) The people had sinned against God and God was about to send them into captivity in Babylon. God was not only warning them, but He was calling them back to Him.

When we come to faith in Jesus Christ, God begins to work in our lives, molding us anew into His image, which was marred by sin. “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.” (Romans 8:28-29) God has a model that He uses to shape us as the potter works in our lives, Jesus Christ, Himself. Just as the potter when He sees what is marred by sin, He works in us to remove what is marred and fill it with the grace and mercy which is ours through Jesus Christ. We must stay in His hands as He works in us.

“Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” (Hebrews 4:14-16)

His hands are always working in and on us as we become more like the image He is using to shape us. As we walk daily with the Living Word of God and spending time in the Written Word of God, He will mold us into the image of His Son as we grow as His children.

In the Love of Jesus,

Michael Block